ForbesLife: Get the Royal Treatment at These 6 Vienna Hotels
Mix a glamorous high-society past with a design-driven present and you’ve got oh-my-god-I-never-want-to-leave-you Vienna. Where swanky cafes (with decadent tortes) and creatively-minded local boutiques (like newly-opened Veralie) mingle with grand gilded buildings, marble fountains, historic concert halls, and an unfathomable museum stretch. And befitting of this noble city, these six Vienna hotels will give you the royal treatment so you’ll never want to check out.
1. Grand Hotel WienGolden age Vienna springs to life at this 1870 icon with a two-storied marble and wrought iron lobby; a killer location on the Ringstrasse; and an idyllic café for savoring traditional Guglhupf cake, tree-lined boulevard views, and live pianist tunes. But snag a suite and your Austrian fantasies will be off the aristocratic charts: expect a Thanksgiving-sized antique table in your own private dining room, a drawing room spacious enough for a Viennese waltz, queenly furnishings, and romantic architectural details bedecking every sumptuous inch. And while it’s all a step back in time, even the valance drapery will close at the push of a button. Need more pampering? The spa’s signature facial includes everything from a luxurious frontal steam bath to a Viennese eucalyptus mask that will refresh you silly.
2. Ritz-Carlton ViennaIt’s the Ritz…what do you expect? Sure, it’s adorned in plush, contemporary furnishings with the finest fabrics. But look beyond and you’ve got a marriage of four grand Viennese palaces with original marble columns and staircases still stunningly intact. Book a club-level room and you’ll get privy entry to a cozy lounge stocked with a robotic wine bar and all the small bites you like; plus a suite with a bed so huge (and sheets so insanely soft!) you’ll need extended arms to embrace your partner. If you can pull yourself away, there’s a palatial spa complete with an indoor lap pool and a must-try Viennese massage that combines hot rocks, warm oil, and hands-on kneading that will bliss you into another world. Top it off with sunset cocktails on the rooftop bar overlooking Vienna’s breathtaking cityscape.
3. Hotel ImperialGold-painted fresco ceilings, marble columns, baroque statues, and masterful works of Viennese nobility: Is it a museum or a hotel? Both, and it’s a beaut. This 1863 landmark has been the choice retreat for dignitaries and high-society folks from Khrushchev to Clinton (to John Kerry, most recently)…and frankly, you can’t blame ‘em. Suites are over-the-top royal with mile-high adorned ceilings, crystal chandeliers, antique decor, opulent baths, and canopied beds. Indulge in a slice of the hotel’s famed chocolate torte at Café Imperial, a charming eatery that’s so classic Viennese with intimate banquets you can’t help but imagine the buzz of yesteryear. In the evening, head to the library-turned-bar where, beneath gilded and mirror ceilings, the piano player tickles away classics…while the Secret Service steal by.
4. Steigenberger Hotel HerrenhofYou’d never guess this chic retreat, in the heart of the Museum Quarter, was once a schoolhouse helmed by teachers like Franz Kafka. But you can peek into its circa 1800s past through glass-enclosed artifacts on every landing of its seven-story winding staircase with original stone floors and wrought iron rails. Or you can simply zoom up—via high-tech elevators—to your seventh-floor suite and revel in more than 1000-square-feet of airy luxury with lofted ceilings, angled windows, fringed lights, colorful mod décor, and one of the best skyline views from a soaking tub ever. Then pamper your palate at Restaurant Herrlich, formerly the café scene of the 1960s, now serving up classic Austrian specialties; followed by drinks at Café Herrenhof under a new 46-foot-high glass dome.
5. Palais Hansen KempinskiSet in the quiet business quarter, with upscale cafes spilling into cobbled side streets, the Palais Hansen feels more like a dream Park Avenue apartment building. Junior suites have spacious foyers, sumptuous beds, huge closets to stay for days, and digital everything from push-button showers to iPad-controlled lights and room service. There’s an Orient-inspired spa outfitted with three saunas, plunge pools, and a hydro pool (tip: treat yourself to the Rhassoul couple’s treatment where you go native and paint each other in purifying mud). And for an undeniably romantic dinner, the garden-themed Edvard Restaurant is a must with a four-course French menu that’s as artful as it is delicious (seriously, you’ve never seen amuse-bouches look so pretty).
6. Guesthouse ViennaWhile there’s no fancy spas or museum-worthy lounges at this 39-room boutique inn, it’s the little luxuries that speak volumes here. Rooms have gratis mini bars complete with on-the-house beer and four wine bottles a day (yes, four…and they’re good!). There’s an idyllic window-seat to cozy up and enjoy vistas of the Albertina Museum, Opera House, and leafy boulevard below; and a marbled rainforest shower with hand-made soap by Wolfgang Lederhaas. Hit up the hotel’s jazzy café to fuel up on fresh-made omelets and Sinatra tunes before strolling down the street to the Hofburg Palace and Spanish Riding School.